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On tap @ the Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA) on 9/2/12. Served in a ½ pint glass.

Pours a clear gold, with a finger or so of bright-white head. This retains with about a ¼ finger of creaminess, with sudsy edges that leave back a moderate cascade of spotty lacing. The aroma smells of dirty funk with a light lemon backing and then some grainy sweetness on the edges. Funk really pushes forward here.

The taste is lightly crisp tartness with some mild acidic funk on the edges. Grains really stand out here the most though, as this is pretty sweet for a Berliner. The finish is semi-dry with an extra bit of lingering funk on the backend. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a high carbonation that blows up a bit in the mouth but some underlying slickness does help carry that tartness and funk along. This at least drinks well thanks to the body.

Although the funk and sweetness here did start to balance out a bit more as this warmed, I just didn’t find a whole lot to latch onto with this, as it just didn’t pack that crisp and quenching flavorful tartness that I really like in the style. This one is a rare miss for me from Victory.

Mellow tartness in the taste that builds a tiny bit towards the end. A bit of honeyish malt and wheat grains in the middle. Light bodied and drinkable, but lacking the dry quenching characteristic. Doesn't really seem fully developed. Probably not something i'd drink again, but worth a try as an introductory Berliner Weiss.

[A] Arrives with a solid 2 finger cap, appropriately bright white, but more foamy and long lasting than fizzy and diminishing. Active bubbles keep the thin film and thick collar alive. The body is a sparkling yellow orange and crystal clear. No lacing.

[S] From a traditional Berliner standpoint, the nose misses the mark a bit but it is still entirely enjoyable. Earthy, modestly funky, little bit of lacto. Honestly, I would have guessed Brett was in the mix but there is no indication in the description.

Pours a hazed golden straw color, moderate cap of prickly white bubbles. Scent brings light wheat twang with notes of salt, lemon and faint hay. Not much going on with taste - light and crisp with a hint of lemon and tangy wheat - lacking much in the positive qualities of a true Berliner. Light bodied, prickly and dry. In a style i adore, this ranks towards the lower end of the spectrum.

On tap at Victory. Served in a sample glass. Pours a slightly-hazy straw color. Nice light tartness. Crisp and light with a bit too much grain, but otherwise quite drinkable. Could use a little less straw.

Big thanks go out to pmsawyer for not only notifying me of this brew's existence but for also purchasing and delivering a growler to my house. Thanks a bunch Pete! From a growler to a thistle, this brew appears a mildly hazed pale straw yellow color. A big white formation of head sits atop more than 3 fingers strong and fades down to just about a finger that holds across the top with rising bubbles supporting. Some strings and spots of lace stick to the glass.

The aroma captures that sweet fresh grain character coupled with a tang of wheat. A light lemony accent is present before the onset of some sulfur. Additional whiffs bring out a scent of earth and faint noble hop properties. As it warms up, it has a mild cheese and yogurt touch. If we could remove the sulfur, this would be a fantastic aroma. Once the brew goes beyond ideal temperature, I get a bit of weizen yeast aspect mildly like clove which is awkward for the style.

The taste is very mild (even for the berliner style this is quite mild.) Notes of fresh wheat and cereal grains are the first things noted with a light lemony lacto inclusion. A bit of something along the lines of corn mixes with some yogurt-like lacto presence. There is a very faint fruit inclusion that is somewhat along the lines of lemon. The tartness seems to come from a combination of wheat and the early stages of lacto development. Once the brew goes beyond ideal temperature, there is a bit of wezien yeast character mildly like clove/banana that just doesnt seem to fit here.

This is a very light brew (again, light even by berliner standards) with a watery feel at times. It has a modest to lively level of carbonation. It is refreshing and just about poundable on a hot day. For their first take on the style, it is decent. I hope they revisit this one and dont hold back on the tartness. Side note: after this brew warms up, it has a bit of hefeweizen character about it almost like clove/phenols but not quite. I cant help but wonder if they used a weizen yeast strain in this which is what gives it that strange combo of character for the style.

I believe this was brewed specifically for Alla Spina in Philadelphia, but I'll probably see this at other spot as well. This was from a growler purchased at the brewery.

Alla Spina Via Weiss looks the part of a Berliner, being that lightness is the key. The liquid is a very faint pale yellow and might as well be called blond. A good amount of white bubbled foam on top, a few fingaz, good retention and ome tick. Smell is pretty faint, I get some grass as well as lemon and pale malt. Not really picking up on any funky bugs. Taste is very light indeed, the wheat base of the beercome through loud and clear. The berliner portion could use a boost though becuase this basically reminds me of a wheat beer. Some faint lemon drops and pale malt. The feel is light, very light and there is some carb making way for some liveliness, although no tartness, unfortunately. While this is very light and refreshing beer, as a berliner, it needs a boost. One glass was plenty for me.